page_title: Shailodbhava dynasty
section_title: As sovereigns
hierarchical_section_title: Shailodbhava dynasty / History / As sovereigns
caption_attribution_description: English: Sculptures on Parasuramesvara Temple, Bhubaneswar, India Français&#160;: Sculptures sur le temple de Parasuramesvara, Bhubaneswar, Inde
context_page_description: The Shailodbhava dynasty ruled parts of eastern India during the 6th-8th centuries. Their core territory was known as Kongoda-mandala, and included parts of the present-day Ganjam, Khordha and Puri districts in the Odisha state. Their capital was located at Kongoda, which is identified with modern Banapur.
  The early rulers of the dynasty were feudatories to the Vigrahas, the Mudgalas, and Shashanka. The Shailodbhava ruler Madhavaraja II seems to have assumed sovereignty soon after 620 CE. The dynasty declined in the 8th century, and their territory came under the Bhauma-Kara rule.
context_section_description: The Shailodbhava territory was known as Kongoda-mandala. Historian Snigdha Tripathy theorizes that after conquering present-day Odisha, the Gauda king Shashanka created the Kongoda-mandala province, and appointed Madhavaraja II as his feudatory of the region. This province was centred around the present-day Ganjam, Khordha and Puri districts. Its capital was Kongoda, which was located on the banks of the Salima river according to the dynasty's inscriptions. The town has been identified with modern Banapur, and the river with the modern Salia river.
  Madhavaraja II seems to have gained independence soon after 620 CE, as his Khordha inscription does not mention any overlord. It describes him as Sakala-Kalingadhipati (the lord of the entire Kalinga), although there is no evidence to prove that he actually conquered the whole of Kalinga (the contemporary Ganga king Indravarman also claimed to have conquered the whole of Kalinga). Madhavaraja II may have declared independence taking advantage of Shashanka's defeat by the kings Harsha and Bhaskaravarman. It is also possible that he annexed some part of the Ganga territory, although this success must have been temporary. His inscriptions state that he performed the ashvamedha and other sacrifices, presumably to assert his independence.
  The inscriptions issued by Madhavaraja II in the later part of reign feature the myth of origin of the Shailodbhava dynasty. In accordance with the contemporary practices, this mythical origin may have been fabricated by a court poet after the dynasty became independent. The introductory part of these inscriptions is in verse form (instead of the prose form featured in the previous inscriptions). The style of the verse is similar to the one that features in the Aihole inscription of Pulakeshin II (Harsha may have invaded the region after Shashanka's death, and Pulakeshin later defeated Harsha).
  During the reign of Madhavaraja II, around 638 CE, the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang visited Kongoda (which he calls Kong-u-T'o). He described it as follows:
  Madhavaraja II was succeeded by his son Madhyamaraja (alias Ayashobhita II), whose inscriptions also credit him with the performance of ashvamedha and other sacrifices. Epigraphic evidence suggests that he ruled for at least 26 years (up to the end of the 7th century), and his reign was peaceful and prosperous.
  Madhyamaraja was succeeded by his son Dharmaraja (alias Manabhita). According to Dharmaraja's inscriptions, he defeated his elder brother Madhava (Madhavaraja III) at Phasika to gain the throne. After his defeat, Madhava fled and took asylum with king Tivara, but Dharmaraja killed both Madhava and Tivara. Dharmaraja was a strong ruler, and reigned for at least 30 years. In his Nimina (Nivina) inscription, he assumed the royal titles Paramabhattaraka, Maharajadhiraja, and Parameshvara.
caption: Parashurameshvara Temple sculptures
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